Reflect prayerfully on the Scripture reading as you listen.

He said to them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.” 

Mark 16:15-16

Lord Jesus, you commanded your disciples to go into the world and proclaim the Good News of salvation. Help us to respond to the Good News so that we too can be saved. Give us your Spirit so that we might take up your command in faith and share the Gospel with all those we meet. 

Glory be... 

One of the main focuses of Mark’s Gospel is the mystery of Jesus. In the beginning of the Gospel we hear Jesus telling people to keep the fact that He is the Messiah secret. Most scholars believe that this is because the Jewish people were expecting a Messiah who would be a military hero who would raise up Israel and free them from Roman or foreign oppression and reestablish Israel as an earthly kingdom. But Jesus knew that was not the type of messiah He would be. He knew all along that He would give His life to save His people and not to establish an earthly kingdom, but the Kingdom of God. Mark used an outline of sorts to structure His Gospel to deliver His message. There are four main divisions in the “outline” of the Gospel of Mark: 

1. The Preparation for the Public Ministry of Jesus— In this division we hear about the ministry of John the Baptist, the Baptism of Jesus, and Jesus’ temptation in the desert. 

2. The Mystery of Jesus— Jesus calls the Apostles, Jesus cures people and casts out demons, and teaches about the Kingdom of God. 

3. The Mystery Begins to Be Revealed— Jesus asks who people say that He is, begins to predict His Death, is transfigured, and moves toward Jerusalem and His Passion. This section can be confusing because Jesus still teaches with parables and performs miracles throughout. 

4. The Full Revelation of the Mystery— The priests try to find ways to trap Jesus; Jesus’ Passion, Death, and Resurrection; and everything becomes clear to the Apostles. 

Over the course of the Gospel Jesus reveals the mystery of who He is gradually and in stages until the full revelation is made clear in His sacrifice on the Cross, His Resurrection, and His Ascension.